Nissan Motors is to become a global sponsor of Man City owner City Football Group in a five-year deal the two companies announced at the Japanese carmaker's headquarters in Yokohama on Thursday. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed. CFG CEO Ferran Soriano said the partnership will see "the Nissan brand visible at all of our football clubs, including Manchester City." In May, CFG took a minority stake in Yokohama F Marinos, the J.League team that Nissan founded and retains control of. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn pointed out that it was the first overseas investment in a J.League club, and that Nissan was CFG's first global partner. CFG also owns Man City's women's team, A-League side Melbourne City, and the Major League Soccer expansion team New York City FC, due to launch in '15 in collaboration with the N.Y. Yankees.

ELECTRIC PARTNERSHIP: Soriano said that details of the Nissan branding at the individual clubs would be announced in the coming weeks, but that it would include strategies such as "a focus on electric cars in New York." Nissan electric cars will also be used for transport around Man City's new 80-acre academy, touted as the biggest football facility of its type in the world, Soriano said. Nissan replaced Ford as a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League last year, and is also an official partner of the African Cup of Nations, Ghosn said.

EXPANSION PLANS: Soriano suggested that CFG may pursue further expansion in Asia. "There will never be another CFG club in Europe, because Man City covers the whole region; there will never be another club in America after New York City. But we may have another club in Asia, it's very big geographically," Soriano told SBD Global. Soriano said there were no plans to change Yokohama F Marinos name in the way that Melbourne Heart was rechristened Melbourne City, as CFG was still a minority shareholder. He said that increasing the size of its stake was a possibility in the future. Yokohama F Marinos President Akira Kaetsu also attended the event and said coaches from the club had already been visiting Man City. "The level of facilities, performance assessment methods and use of data at Manchester City made me realize the gap between us and them," Kaetsu said. CFG clubs plan to share a scouting network, training methods and other know-how, Soriano added.Gavin Blair is a writer in Tokyo.

Global sports betting brand 12BET confirmed a two-year sponsorship of EPL side Hull City Tigers. The sponsorship is the largest in the club’s 110-year history and will run until the end of the '15-16 season. The 12BET logo will be featured on the front of the club’s shirt. The sponsorship also comes as the club embarks on its first ever campaign in a European competition (Hull City). The PA reported the seven-figure deal represents a 60% "increase on its previous deal with Cash Converters." It also represents the first major overseas investment since Owner Assem Allam "saw his plans to change the the club's name from Hull City to Hull Tigers quashed" by an FA panel (PA, 7/17).

Bundesliga side Hamburg SV and adidas have extended their kit supply deal until '24.

Bundesliga side Hamburg SV "has extended its kit supply deal with adidas until '24," according to the DPA. The financially struggling club, which has liabilities of about €100M ($135M), signed the extension with adidas in April. Depending on the team's on-field performance, Hamburg SV will receive between €40M-€50M ($54M-$68M) over the contract's 10 years. Hamburg SV Finance Dir Joachim Hilke said, "It is a great signal that adidas sees the club's restructuring as a substantial model for the future." The club will officially announce the deal during the Telekom Cup on July 26-27. Adidas will also unveil the club's new jersey at the official announcement (DPA, 7/17).

The Int'l Amateur Boxing Association revealed that it has "signed a landmark" $39M deal to support its global marketing company, the Boxing Marketing Arm, with First Commitment Int'l Trade, according to Emily Goddard of INSIDE THE GAMES. The partnership with the Hong Kong-based private entity "was approved" at the world governing body's '14-15 Exec Committee Meeting in Istanbul. As part of the deal, FCIT "will be the exclusive representative for all BMA China businesses, which promote and sell rights for all AIBA products, located in the Greater China territories, including mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau." Meanwhile, AIBA's World Series of Boxing -- launched in '10 and entering Season 5 with 16 teams in Jan. '15 -- and AIBA Pro Boxing, which begins on Oct. 24, "will offer the firm the opportunity to expand in the sports industry" (INSIDE THE GAMES, 7/16).

The local sporting landscape received a boost as StarHub announced its appointment as a Founding Partner and the Official Telecommunications Partner of the Singapore Sports Hub; Official Broadcaster Partner for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour and the Official Telecommunications Partner of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The partnerships reaffirm StarHub's commitment to local sports and its mission to making sports more accessible to all Singaporeans.

Under the terms of the agreement with the Singapore Sports Hub, StarHub will receive branding rights to the National Stadium's South West Gate Entrance as well as a 30-seater corporate hospitality suite. As the Official Telecommunications Partner of the WTA Finals, StarHub will broadcast the event 'live' and free on its dedicated sports channel SuperSports Arena on StarHub TV Channels 112 and 201. Non-customers with a cable point can also tune in to the tournament coverage on 76.25MHz. In addition, StarHub will carry WTA content on its pay TV and OTT platforms. This means that customers will be able to watch WTA content on their TVs and personal devices such as tablets and smartphones.

"Sports is in our DNA and we are delighted to have found two likeminded partners in the Singapore Sports Hub and WTA. It is truly an exciting time to be a sports fan in Singapore and being a local info-communications company, we will use our multiple communications channels to bring across the message that sports is for everyone," said Tan Tong Hai, Chief Executive Officer of StarHub. "We are a passionate advocate of the local sports scene and will continue working with partners such as the Singapore Sports Hub and WTA in our pursuit to bring sports closer to all Singaporeans. What better way to do this than to give Singapore viewers a 'front-row seat' experience to one of the biggest showpiece sporting events of the year, the WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, 'live' and free on our sports channel SuperSports Arena."

"We are pleased to name StarHub as our Founding Partner and Official Telecommunications Partner of the Singapore Sports Hub. We see this newly founded partnership with StarHub as a perfect fit, as both of us share a strong passion of making sports accessible to all. We are confident this partnership will act as a catalyst for the emergence of sport in Singapore and provide a platform to elevate the Singapore sporting ecosystem on a regional and global scale. Together, we look forward to hosting a wide variety of world-class sporting events, including tennis. These events will excite and inspire the Singapore public to participate in sports, indulging in the euphoria of watching live games while discovering world-class facilities at the Sports Hub. From watching to participating is a concept that truly emphasises the nucleus of Sports Hub's ecosystem, and one which will further grow Singapore's sporting industry for the long term," said Mr Philippe Collin Delavaud, CEO, SportsHub Pte Ltd.

"StarHub's sponsorship of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is a perfect fit for the WTA and our crown jewel event," said Melissa Pine, WTA Finals Tournament Director. "This partnership, which is rooted in StarHub's commitment to local sports, will make the WTA Finals' debut in Singapore incredibly accessible to its residents both at home and on the go. We are excited to move forward with this great company to help make sports, and specifically the year-end event, readily available to the community in this wonderful region."

The partnerships were negotiated by World Sport Group (WSG), the Singapore Sports Hub's exclusive commercial partner,

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/starhub-announces-sports-hub-partnership#sthash.FobJ9b7f.dpuf

StarHub announced its appointment as a founding partner and the official telecom partner of the Singapore Sports Hub, official broadcaster partner for the Women's Tennis Association Tour and the official telecom partner of the WTA Finals Singapore. Under the terms of the agreement with the Singapore Sports Hub, StarHub will receive branding rights to the National Stadium's South West Gate Entrance as well as a 30-seat corporate hospitality suite. StarHub will broadcast the WTA Finals live and free on its dedicated sports channel SuperSports Arena on StarHub TV Channels 112 and 201. Non-customers with a cable point can also tune in to the tournament coverage on 76.25MHz. In addition, StarHub will carry WTA content on its pay-TV and OTT platforms. Customers will be able to watch WTA content on their TVs and personal devices such as tablets and smartphones. StarHub CEO Tan Tong Hai said, "Sports is in our DNA and we are delighted to have found two likeminded partners in the Singapore Sports Hub and WTA." The partnerships were negotiated by the Singapore Sports Hub's exclusive commercial partner World Sport Group (StarHub).
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Bundesliga side FC Schalke has agreed to a premium partnership with high-tech specialists Hisense. The contract with the company, which will act as a partner for electronics and household appliances, has initially been agreed to run for three years until '17. As a premium partner, Hisense will install TVs around the Veltins Arena. Hisense will also receive presence on the LED advertising boards in the stadium, as well as on the background sponsorship panels in the arena’s mixed zone and media center (FC Schalke). ... Handball Bundesliga (HBL) side Frisch Auf! Göppingen has expanded its partnership with machine tool manufacturer EMAG for another year. EMAG will receive ad space on boards in camera view as well as logo presence on the court. In addition, the company's logo will be featured on the players' shorts during the '14-15 season (Frisch Auf! Göppingen). ... German 3rd League football club Arminia Bielefeld has signed a new sponsorship deal with interior decoration company Jab Anstoetz Group for the '14-15 season. The company's logo will be featured on the sleeves of the club's jersey (Arminia Bielefeld).

PLATING THE PASTA: Serie A side Napoli "has agreed to a deal with Garofalo Pasta to become the club's secondary shirt sponsor." Garofalo Pasta "will replace cruise line MSC and join primary shirt sponsor Acqua Lete on the front of the jersey" (SPORTECONOMY, 7/16). ... German auto manufacturer Opel has signed a sponsorship agreement in which it will support Spain's national women's field hockey team. The team is "currently looking to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games" (MARCA, 7/17). ... Global management company IMG confirmed its split with Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic, "just as the troubled Australian tennis star scored his first back-to-back match wins since January." The agency "used Twitter to announce it had cut ties with the 21-year-old on Thursday," but did not specify reasons. Reports earlier in the week suggested that "it had terminated his contract before it was due to expire because of his off-court behaviour" (AAP, 7/17). ... Suzuki Motor Corp. "will title sponsor this year’s Asean Football Championship for the fourth successive occasion." The biennial event kicks off on Nov. 22 "and will be co-hosted by Singapore and Vietnam" (BANGKOK POST, 7/17).

HARD HAT: German F1 driver Nico Rosberg "has been forced to change the design of a special helmet to celebrate Germany's World Cup triumph," after FIFA intervened on intellectual property grounds. Rosberg "released a photo of the design Tuesday," featuring the colors of the German flag, four stars and the World Cup trophy. However, on Thursday morning "the helmet was being swiftly altered to remove the image of the trophy" after FIFA contacted Rosberg's management to say that "they held the rights and he did not have permission to use it" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/17).

IN BRAZIL: Brazilian government-owned financial institution Caixa and Brasileiro side Sport Club do Recife announced a partnership in which the bank's logo will appear on the front of the club's shirts. The one-year deal is worth $2.7M (Sport Club do Recife).

NIKE ORDEM: Nike has "unveiled the new ball" -- the Nike Ordem -- that will be used in the EPL, La Liga and Serie A during the '14-15 season. The ones used in La Liga and Serie A will be different colored variations of the ball used in the Premier League (London TELEGRAPH, 7/17).